[Amps] Alpha 9500 quirks

[Charles Harpole]

Please pass this info to Alpha 9500 owners.........
 
1.  Mine may be unique, but the foam piece between the mount for the blower and the bottom chassis may be deformed or become deformed which will throw the axis of the squirrel cage and reduce air flow.  Really deformed foam will allow the axel to go so far off alignment that the cage will strike the housing and make a noise.  The foam is deformed by the shipping hold-down screw--the one to remove during first installation--and in my case, the foam did not expand upon release of the screw.  After a few hours of usage, the cage began to hit the housing, requiring replacement.
 
2.  The Alpha 9500 advertising description led me to believe that the amp had over-drive automatic shut down protection.  That is, if it is driven with more than about 100 watts, the amp will protect itself automatically.  Yes, it does that, but the way it functions is to cause a one watt resistor to blow that is mounted on the rear circuit board.  That resistor is a tiny SMD which will be beyond most old hands to repair.  Thus, the "protection" against accidental over drive is a resistor working as a fuse located in a very difficult place to replace.  The caution to owners of this amp is NEVER to overdrive it, accident or otherwise, because the repair is not easy nor quick;  the resistor is not a fuse that one can just pop in.  I was fooled by the advertising description and was not super careful.
 
3.  There is a small light on that board that blinks red.  It is supposed to do that.
 
I now fear what other unknown tricks and flaws await me using this very expensive amp.  73,

Charles Harpole      
k4vud at hotmail.com